1/6 Insurrection Investigation

[Rick Plant]

Jan. 6 committee says it has evidence that 'directly contradicts' GOP denials of 'reconnaissance tours'



House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"Based on our review of evidence in the Select Committee's possession, we believe you have information regarding a tour you led through parts of the Capitol complex on January 5, 2021," Select Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) wrote in a letter to Loudermilk on Thursday.

"The foregoing information raises questions to which the Select Committee must seek answers. Public reporting and witness accounts indicate some individuals and groups engaged in efforts to gather information about the layout of the U.S. Capitol, as well as the House and Senate office buildings, in advance of January 6, 2021," read the letter, which was also signed by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).

"In response to those allegations, Republicans on the Committee on House Administration—of which you are a Member—claimed to have reviewed security footage from the days preceding January 6th and determined that '[t]here were no tours, no large groups, no one with MAGA hats on.' However, the Select Committee’s review of evidence directly contradicts that denial," the letter stated.

The letter proposes a meeting during the week of May 23.

"The letter comes more than a year after some House Democrats accused Republicans of providing tours in the days leading up to January 6 to individuals who later stormed the Capitol," CNN noted. "Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat from New Jersey, accused Republicans in the days after the insurrection of providing tours to people who then used the information they learned from their visit about the complex's layout to aid in their attempt to interrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results."

Sherrill said she saw members of Congress leading groups of people through the Capitol on a "reconnaissance" tour on Jan. 5. Her comments came on Jan. 12, 2021.

The committee investigating the 2021 US Capitol assault plans to stage public hearings in June and release its findings at the height of the midterm election campaign later this year.

Across eight hearings, key witnesses interviewed by the congressional probe will testify publicly for the first time on the alleged plot that led to the January 6 insurrection as well as the events of the day itself.

"We'll tell the story about what happened," Thompson told reporters.

"We will use a combination of witnesses, exhibits, things that we have through the tens of thousands of exhibits... as well as the hundreds of witnesses we deposed or just talked to in general."

The hearings are expected to make for blockbuster television -- potentially on a par with the Watergate hearings or Donald Trump's two impeachments -- as America relives minute by minute the day a mob of the defeated president's supporters stormed Congress to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to 2020 election winner Joe Biden.

The bench of seven Democrats and two Republicans will explore allegations that Trump inspired the violence through months of false claims about election fraud, as part of an illegal plot to stay in power.

Trump and his inner circle deny all accusations of wrongdoing, characterizing their election disinformation and alleged machinations to overturn the results as a good-faith attempt to clear up widespread corruption.

AFP

[Rick Plant]

Jan. 6 committee has photo evidence from inside the White House: report

Photographic evidence from inside the White House has been obtained by the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"Congressional investigators have obtained a batch of official White House photographs, including images taken on Jan. 6, 2021, according to two sources familiar with the evidence," Politico reported Thursday. "At least some of the photos were taken by official White House photographer Shealah Craighead, the sources indicated. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson confirmed that the panel had obtained some of Craighead’s photos, though he declined to describe their content."

Trump reportedly sought a cut of Craighead's book on her time in the administration.

"The panel has been amassing evidence of Trump’s movements and actions that day, attempting to reconstruct a minute-by-minute account of what the former president was doing while rioters smashed through police lines and disrupted the counting of electoral votes — the last step in finalizing Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory before his inauguration," Politico reported. "In addition to material from the Archives, committee investigators have interviewed nearly all attendees of Trump’s 11:10 a.m. Oval Office meeting including Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle."

Trump reportedly spoke to then-Vice President Mike Pence at 11:20 a.m.

“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution,” Trump tweeted at 2.24 p.m.

"The select committee increasingly views that tweet as a catalyst of the day’s worst violence," Politico reported. "Multiple defendants charged with breaching the Capitol pointed to that tweet as a driver of the mob’s fury. Video footage captured by news media and taken by rioters themselves shows the crowd reacting to the tweet, which posted 10 minutes after the first wave of people entered the Capitol through a window shattered by a rioter wielding a stolen police shield."

Read the full report: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/19/jan-6-white-house-photos-capitol-riot-00033876

[Rick Plant]

'Just boneheaded': Neal Katyal counsels Barry Loudermilk to lawyer up in Jan. 6 probe



Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal on Thursday dissected the legal liability facing Georgia GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk after he was asked to cooperate with the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The select committee is seeking information about a tour of the Capitol Complex that Loudermilk allegedly conducted on Jan. 5, 2021.

"In response to those allegations, Republicans on the Committee on House Administration—of which you are a Member—claimed to have reviewed security footage from the days preceding January 6th and determined that '[t]here were no tours, no large groups, no one with MAGA hats on.' However, the Select Committee’s review of evidence directly contradicts that denial," the letter stated.

Katyal was asked about Loudermilk and reports former Attorney General Bill Barr is negotiating with the select committee.

"I mean, this guy's pants look like they are on fire," he commented. "And as a lawyer, if I were a lawyer advising him, I would never want a client to take the stand if you can't trust that client and a guy like this has zero credibility."

"Lying about an election that he win in, is bad enough," he continued. "But lying about giving tours, that is just boneheaded. Of course, it was going to be found out."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Capitol rioter who sat in Pence's seat on Jan. 6 faces prison sentence after pleading to felony obstruction

A California man who was among the rioters occupying the U.S. Senate chambers during the January 6 has pleaded guilty to felony charges and faces substantial prison time.

Christian Alexander Secor, 23, of Costa Mesa, California, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to obstruction of an official proceeding, according to the Department of Justice. Secor, who is to be sentenced on October 7, faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

But under Secor’s plea agreement, the DOJ maintains the defendant should receive a prison sentence of 51-to-63 months, which if imposed would be among the longest handed out to date. But the agreement also states the Secor “does reserve the right to challenge that finding “solely on the grounds that his offense did not involve causing or threatening to cause physical injury to a person or property damage.” If that position prevailed, Secor would face 21 to 27 months in prison under the guidelines.

The FBI alleged in its arrest documents that “at approximately 2:47 p.m., after another rioter had jumped over the railing in the Senate Gallery to the Senate Floor, (Secor) left the Gallery and went to the door of the Senate Floor on the second story of the building. The defendant then made his way to the Senate Dais and sat in the seat that had been occupied by Vice President Mike Pence approximately 30 minutes earlier.

“While the defendant occupied the seat at the Senate Dais-and while other rioters were present inside the Senate Chambers and the U.S. Capitol building---the joint session to count and certify the votes of the Electoral College for the 2020 Presidential Election could not continue.”

According to court documents, Secor sent a text message on November 3, 2020 – Election Day -- stating, “We’re gonna win bigly and if we don’t we’re taking this ship down in flames.”

“In preparation for the events of Jan. 6, he messaged another individual on Jan. 5, 2021, stating that he “brought a gas mask” to Washington and that he “Wouldn’t be surprised if conservatives just storm the police and clobber antifa and the police but that’s wishful thinking.”

And Secor tweeted, "the facade of a free country are [sic] evaporating before our eyes. What an exciting time to be alive." And that "The institutional attacks on this demonstration are something out of the Arab Spring. More reason to go by any means necessary!"

On the evening of Jan. 6, Secor boasted about what took place that day on Twitter, saying, among other things, “One day accomplished more for conservatism than the last 30 years.”

You can read the criminal complaint here:

https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-rioter-who-sat-in-pence-s-eat-on-jan-6-faces-prison-sentence-after-pleading-to-felony-obstruction/

[Rick Plant]

In a letter to Rep Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), House Jan 6 committee writes, "Based on our review of evidence in the Select Committee’s possession, we believe you have information regarding a tour you led through parts of the Capitol complex on January 5, 2021."

January 6th Committee @January6thCmte

"The Select Committee has requested that Representative Barry Loudermilk provide information for the committee’s investigation.

The Select Committee has discovered evidence that Rep Loudermilk may have info regarding a tour through parts of the Capitol complex on January 5, 2021."

[Rick Plant]

Here is an excellent thread detailing the insurrection on Twitter from Lindsey Simmons. Check it out. 

Lindsey Simmons @LynzforCongress

"You know how less than 3 weeks ago the Alito opinion was leaked + suddenly Republican politicians noticed a baby formula shortage that’s been an issue since February—but 192 of them voted against solving that problem?

Yeah. So.

Reminder of how the 1/6 investigation is going.

https://twitter.com/LynzforCongress/status/1527243655412695041

[Rick Plant]

Roger Stone at center of leaked group chats among Jan 6th insurrectionists



According to information provided by one of the participants, conservative political gadfly Roger Stone was at the center of a group chat named after him that included now-indicted militia members who participated in the Jan 6th insurrection.

While there have been reports that the supporter of Donald Trump was seen in the company of Oath Keepers acting as his bodyguards, the existence of the so-called F.O.S. — or Friends of Stone -- group chat may shed more light on the planning and activities of the riot that forced lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to flee for their lives.

According to the report from the New York Times, members of the chat included a rogues gallery of right-wing figures, 47 in all, including, "Owen Shroyer, the right-hand man of the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones; Enrique Tarrio, the onetime chairman of the Proud Boys; and Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia."

As the Times' Alan Feuer wrote, "While the origins of the group chat remain somewhat obscure, Friends of Stone has existed since at least 2019, when Mr. Stone was indicted in connection with the Russia investigation by the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, said one of its participants, Pete Santilli, a veteran right-wing radio host. According to Mr. Santilli, the group chat — hosted on the encrypted app Signal — was a kind of safe space where pro-Stone figures in politics and media, many of whom were banned from social media, could get together and trade links and stories about their mutual friend."

According to Santilli, there was nothing untoward about the chat group, telling the Times, "The primary reason for the chat was to have a place for supporters to share stuff. You drop a link and everyone shares it on their non-traditional channels.”

The report continues, "After Mr. Trump’s defeat, Friends of Stone seemed to assume another purpose as Mr. Stone found himself in the middle of the accelerating Stop the Steal movement devised to challenge the results of the election. The Washington Post, citing footage from a Danish documentary film crew that was following Mr. Stone, said that in early November 2020, he asked his aides to direct those involved in the effort to monitor the chat for developments," adding, "In recent weeks, the Justice Department has expanded its investigation of the riot from those who physically attacked the Capitol to those who were not at the building but may have helped to shape or guide the violence. Investigators appear to be interested in finding any links between organizers who planned pro-Trump rallies at the Capitol that day and right-wing militants who took part in the assault."

The Times Feuer added, "The group chat’s membership list includes several people who fit that description."

You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/us/politics/roger-stone-jan-6.html